We all have goals, quotas, and deadlines, but it’s not life and death. Relax – take a breath and see the world as it is- because in it, everything is interesting.

even salt is interesting

Hey guys

I stumbled across a great an artist who creates installations, sculptures, and drawings out of SALT!!

Born in Hiroshima, Japan, Motoi Yamamoto originated as a worker in a dockyard until 1995 when his younger sister passed away from brain cancer. Since then has chosen to dedicate his life to ‘reconnecting to her soul’ by using salt as his medium. (Salt to the Japanese is a very significant symbol in beliefs in culture. For example a handful of salt is thrown into a room so as to ‘purify’ a space or even in sumo wrestling, a handful of salt is thrown to purify the ring.)

“Salt seems to possess a close relation with human life beyond time and space. Moreover, especially in Japan, it is indispensable in the death culture. After my sister’s death, what I began to do in order to accept this reality was examine how death was dealt with in the present social realm. I posed several related themes for myself such as brain death or terminal medical care and picked related materials accordingly. I then came to choose salt as a material for my work. This was when I started to focus on death customs in Japan. In the beginning, I was interested in the fact that salt is used in funerals or in its subtle transparency. But gradually I came to a point where the salt in my work might have been a part of some creature and supported their lives. Now I believe that salt enfolds the ﾒmemory of livesﾓ. I have thus had a special feeling since I started using it as a material.” (yamamot0)

Yamamoto also believes that salt preserves and is essential to life and therefore after his installations, he requests that all the salt be thrown into the ocean.

note his patience,dedication, and attention to detail- which REALLY, seem like only the Japanese can achieve.

A common perception towards them is “nearly reachable, yet not quite” or “nearly conceivable, yet not quite”.
Memories seem to change and vanish as time goes by. However, what I sought for was the way in which I could touch a precious moment in my memories which cannot be attainable through pictures or writings.

Drawing a labyrinth with salt is like following a trace of my memory. Memories seem to change and vanish as time goes by. However, what I sought for was the way in which I could touch a precious moment in my memories which cannot be attained through pictures or writings. What I look for at the end of the act of drawing could be a feeling of touching a precious memory. During the course of drawing, I cannot tell it if will reach the essential point till its very end because lines are curved or cut against my intention. It depends not only on my psychological or physical condition, but also on the condition of the floor or the level of humidity. I always silently follow the trace, that is controlled as well as uncontrolled from the start point after I have completed it.